Friday, June 3, 2022
I have a world of respect for Coach Neil....even if I never played on one of his teams. A couple of memories stand out. 1. As a player on the opposing team, I showed up earlier than my teammates for a game. He insisted that i get out on the field and practice with his team. He continued to give me tips to improve my skills during that pre-game time. 2. During another game, again on the opposing team, he noticed that I was running very slowly with a limp. After he confirmed that I was okey to play, he offered to allow a pinch runner after every at-bat. He didn't think it was fair that I would be an easy out - without the pinch runner. While he had many great teams, was very competitive and won many games, his main concern was to teach players how to improve their skills and to play a fair game.....no matter what team you were on.
